(Want to join up? jump to "Membership")

Why is the Monaro Folk Society?

The basic objectives of the Society are to foster enjoyment of and interest in all aspects of folk lore; including singing, dance, music, stories, ballads, poetry and literature.

Where did the MFS come from?

The Monaro Folk Society was in many ways a product of the Australian folk revival of the 1960s. In 1969, the students of Campbell High School, together with the teachers and a few ‘folky’ friends, produced Dick Diamond’s Australian musical "Reedy River". This event seems to have focussed a burgeoning interest in bush music and folk culture in the Canberra region. The Monaro Folk Music Society was formed shortly after, primarily to facilitate the running of Canberra’s first folk festival at the ANU in 1970.

The Society went on to host regular bush dances at the Yarralumla Woolshed, as well as many other events including three National Folk Festivals.

In 1989, the Society funded the launch of the Merry Muse Folk Club, and this was made an official activity of the Society, as its the performance and entertainment arm, in 1995.

The Society, which changed its name to the Monaro Folk Society Inc. in 2002, remains a vibrant and well-respected organisation to this day. A detailed history of the Society from its roots until the end of the 20^th century was published in 2004 - see Sales.

The Society is the registered proprietor of The Merry Muse.

What does the MFS do?

The MFS (which in 2002 deleted the misleadingly narrow reference to "Music" from its name) works for its objectives through an extensive programme of entertainment, education and mutual assistance. The Society's top-quality performance venue - The Merry Muse - doesn't only showcase local and touring artists, it also encourages performer development through walk-up opportunities, and is the venue for monthly Settlers' Nights which combine a musicians' session with a bush-dancers' workshop.

The Society offers an extensive public dance programme including classes, workshops, and two display groups; provides a framework for the development of musicians and singers of all levels of ability to learn and improve their skills by working together; and maintains relations with other organisations of like mind.

For details see Music, Dance, Resources, Links and Catalogue.

The Society's newsletter Monaro Musings is published monthly except January, and is mailed to all members. The newsletter is in its 16^th year of publication (2007) and typically of 16 A4 pages. (Before publication of Monaro Musings began, there was a simpler publication, MFMS Newsletter.) Some years ago Monaro Musings was for a time available on the Internet, and currently (March 2007) online publication is being trialled again.

What does the MFS look like?

The Monaro Folk Society Inc. is a not-for-profit community body incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory under the Associations Incorporation Act 1999. A copy of the Society's current Rules of Association is available as a PDF to view online or to download for offline reading. The Society is managed by an elected Committtee of 10 members (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Officer, and five ordinary members), who are assisted by a number of appointees (see Contacts). The Committee may also appoint sub-Committees for particular tasks.

The Monaro Folk Society works with other organisations and individuals to promote its objectives.You will find links to those friends and associates throughout this website.

Joining the MFS

Membership of MFS is open to any person, and the membership year runs July to June.

Benefits of Membership
MFS members are admitted to virtually all paid-entry MFS events at a preferential rate (see Music, Dance for examples), and also receive the monthly Monaro Musings by mail. Members can also take part in the Society's music or singing sessions or dance display groups.

And one more thing --- MFS is a very friendly social environment, for listeners and watchers as well as players, dancers and singers at all levels of skill!!

Membership Fees
The 2006 AGM deleted reference to purchased Life Membership, but did not otherwise alter membership fees, so membership categories and annual fees for 2007-08 will be the same as 2006-07, ie:

Single $25	Concessional Single $20
Family $35	Concessional Family $25
Remote $20

Where membership (other than life membership) is taken up in the second half of a membership year, special arrangements apply:

Memberships taken out between 1 January and 31 March will be charged at half the normal rate for the current membership year, and will cover the period from date of joining until the end of that membership year on 30 June following.
Memberships taken out between 1 April and 30 June will be charged at the rate for the next membership year, but will cover the period from date of joining until 30 June of the year following - this means a bonus period of up to 3 months is available at no cost.

Application for Membership
A form to use when applying for or renewing membership can be downloaded here. Or, membership can commence or be renewed on-the-spot, with immediate effect, at The Merry Muse or at dances and dance classes.

Created 14 September 2005 : Last updated 06 June 2007.